Kostelic won with a total time of 2:51.08, which includes two slalom runs and one downhill run. Austrian Marlies Schild posted a time of 2:51.58 to take silver and Swede Anja Paerson won bronze with a 2:51.63.

Mancuso was ninth in 2:55.44, Stiegler 11th in 2:55.79 and Richardson 17th in 2:56.83. Lindsey Kildow (Vail, CO) did not finish her second slalom run Friday evening.

Mancuso was also the top American finisher in Wednesday's downhill as she placed seventh.

Stiegler, competing in her first Olympics, led the U.S. contingent after slalom as she was in ninth Friday night. Mancuso was in 11th and Richardson in 15th coming into the downhill.

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The downhill was originally scheduled for a noon (Torino time) start on Friday. However, strong winds forced a postponement until Saturday. That was not the end of the delays. Saturday's 2 p.m. start was postponed due to heavy snow and low on-course visibility. The sun peeked through for a bit and the race finally got underway at 3:30 p.m.

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The slalom portion of the combined went off as planned Friday night, making the event unconventional as the slalom usually follows the downhill.

The women are back on the hill Sunday for super G. Scheduled to race for the U.S. is Kirsten Clark (Raymond, ME), Kildow, Libby Ludlow (Bellevue, WA) and Mancuso. It will be Ludlow's first career Olympic start.[pagebreak]XX OLYMPIC WINTER GAMESSan Sicario, ITA - Feb. 18, 2006Women's Combined